Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Request for Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings Under Section 336

AGENCY:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

30-Day notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

DATES:

The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments. Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until May 28, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated response time, must be directed to the OMB USCIS Desk Officer via email at dhsdeskofficer@omb.eop.gov. All submissions received must include the agency name and the OMB Control Number 1615-0050 in the subject line.

You may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that you provide in any voluntary submission you make. For additional information please read the Privacy Act notice that is available via the link in the footer of http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20529-2140, Telephone number (202) 272-8377 (This is not a toll-free number; comments are not accepted via telephone message.). Please note contact information provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not for individual case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check Case Status Online, available at the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov,, or call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283; TTY (800) 767-1833.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments

The information collection notice was previously published in the Federal Register on February 1, 2019, at 84 FR 1195, allowing for a 60-day public comment period. USCIS did not receive any comments in connection with the 60-day notice.

During the 60-day Notice, USCIS posted to http://www.regulations.gov documents that showed an overview of the revised Form and Instructions with red or strike-through text indicating the additions or deletions, as well as Table of Changes highlighting the differences between the currently published versions and the revised versions of the Form and Instructions. The proposed Form included a Part 5, Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities and/or Impairments, while the Table of Changes indicated that Part 5 was being deleted. USCIS is removing instructions and spaces on forms to request accommodations for individuals with disabilities and/or impairments because we have determined that was an ineffective method for communicating and obtaining that information. The personal notices that are sent to individuals to schedule appointments when a physical appearance at a USCIS office may be necessary is much more effective for instructions about and request for accommodations when needed. Therefore, the language will be removed from the Instructions. The Form PDF and Table of Changes posted for comment in http://www.regulations.gov with this notice correctly reflect that Part 5 is being removed from Form N-336.

You may access the information collection instrument with instructions, or additional information by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal site at: http://www.regulations.gov and enter USCIS-2007-0020 in the search box. Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following four points:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection.

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: Request for Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings under Section 336.

(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the DHS sponsoring the collection: N-336; USCIS.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households. Form N-336 is used by an individual who's Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, was denied to request a hearing before an immigration officer on the denial of the N-400. USCIS uses the information submitted on Form N-336 to locate the requestor's file and schedule a hearing in the correct jurisdiction. It allows USCIS to determine if there is an underlying Form N-400, Application for Naturalization that was denied to warrant the filing of Form N-336. The information collected also allows USCIS to determine if a member of the U.S. armed forces has filed the appeal.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection N-336 (paper filing) is 4,500 and the estimated hour burden per response is 2.75 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection N-336 (e-filing) is 500 and the estimated hour burden per response is 2.5 hours.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated with this collection is 13,625 hours.

(7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated with the collection: The estimated total annual cost burden associated with this collection of information is $2,317,500.00.